Side-loading hearse with fixed turntable



Jan. 10, 1933. F. w. HARRIS SIDE LOADING HEARSE WITH FIXED TURNTABLEFiled Jan. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet Jan. 10, 1933. w, HARRls 1,893,739

SIDE LOADING HEARSE WITH FIXED TURNTABLE Filed Jan. 26, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 x III/IIIMIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIA Ill] Ill/11110111111011)!Patented Jan. 16, 1933 FORD W. HARRIS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALEEOENIA,ASSIGNOR TO BIG ROCK RANCH COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFGENEA, ACOEPGRATION OF CALIFORNIA srnn-noanrne- Applioation filed January 26,1929.

My invention relates to burial coaches or hearses, that is to say, tovehicles which are adapted to transport caskets, and while particularlyapplicable to motor vehicles of this type it is not necessarily limitedthereto.

It has become the fixed practice throughout the greater portion of theUnited States to conduct funerals using motor-driven hearses andutilizing automobiles for transporting the mourners. This and the changing traffic conditions in large cities have necessitated certain changesin the method of loading and handling the casket.

he conventional type of hearse which was in use some fifteen or twentyyears ago consisted of a horse-drawn vehicle having doors in the rearand through which the casket was inserted and withdrawn.

It is not an unusual thing at the present time for very heavy metalcaskets to be used and the difficulties of loading and unloading thesecaskets from the old style hearse were very great, particularly incities in which it was necessary to place the hearse parallel with thecurb, thus necessitating the pallbearers carrying the casket down overthe curb and into the street before it could be placed in the hearse andnecessitating the lifting of the heavy casket through considerabledistance to allow it to be placed in the hearse. To obviate thesedifficulties sic eloading hearses have been designed in which a more orless conventional type of automobile body is employed and in which thecasket is inserted and withdrawn through the side of the automobile.

Owing to traflic regulations and to the desirability of maintaining moreor less conventional lines in the automobile body, the construction of aside-loading hearse presents certain, diiliculties. Caskets of thelarger size tend to fill the greater portion of the body, the casketextending longitudinally of the body, and it is extremely diflicult toprovide an opening of sufficient size to withdraw the casket withoutturning.

It is an object of my invention to provide a side-loading hearse inwhich the insertion and removal of the casket is facilitated andl-ZEARSE WITH FIXED TURNTABLE Serial No. 335,161.

which will be of relatively simple and sturdy construction.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a side-loading hearsewhich when closed with the casket inside has the general appearance of ahigh-class passenger automobile.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for shieldingthe casket and the mourners from rain or snow during the loadingoperation.

Further objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings which are for by the line 44: of Fig. 1 viewedin the direction of the arrows.

My invention is applied to a more or less conventional type ofautomobile body 10 having an engine 11, standard type of chassis,wheels, etc., a drivers seat 12 being provided in the usual position.Access may be had to the drivers seat through conventional doors. Inside'the hearse I provide a bear ing structure 20 in which an axle 21 isfree to rotate, this axle being supported in ballbearings 22 and 23 andextending up andbeing secured to a turntable 24. This turntable 24 is ofsuiiicient size to carry a casket which may be locked thereon bysuitable means, not shown.

Secured by means of hinges 30 near the top 31 of the hearse is a sidedoor 32, this door being adapted to swing up into the position shown inFig. at and extending along the side of the hearse shown in Fig. 3.Toggle links 33 are provided for supporting this door in the openposition. Suitable locking means 34 of conventional design are providedfor securing this door in the closed position.

A lock 40 is carried on a shaf ll mounted automobile, the lock beingoperated by a handle 43 and having a dog 44 engaging a slotted opening45 on the turntable.

The method of operation of the invention is as follows:

The door 32 being closed and the turntable 24 being in the positionshown in full lines in Figs. 1 4 and 3, the hearse is driven to thepoint at which it is desired to load it, no casket of course bcincarried at this time. The door 32 is then lifted int-o'the positionshown in Fig. 4 and forms a canopy or cover extending out over a portionof the sidewalk and under any tyne of marquee or roof which may beprovided. The lock 40 is then re leased and the turntable is swung outinto the dotted position shown at 50 in Fig. 1. In this position it willbe noted that the end 51 of the turntable extends out from the side ofthe hearse into such a position that the pall-bearers holding one end ofthe casket may walk alongside and deposit their load directly onto theturntable. The casket is then pushed in the direction of the arrow 52into position where it rests wholly upon the turntable and is secureddown by any type of catch suited to engage the particular type of casketused, these catches, forming no part of the present invention, not beingshown.

The turntable is then swung around in the direction of the arrow 53 sothat it assumes the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and the lock40 is operated to lock it in this position. The door 32 is then closedand the hearse is ready to proceed to its destination. lVhen thisdestination is reached the door 32 is again opened, the turntable isswung out and the casket is removed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a hearse, the combination of: an enclosed body having a lengthsomewhat greater than, and a width somewhat less than, the length of anadult casket to be transported; a door in the side of said body; and aturntable turning about a fixed axis within said body and adapted tosupport said casket within said body and to turn it about said axis,said axis being adjacent one of the ends of said casket, into a positionsuch that the casket may be removed through the opening normally closedby said door.

2. In a hearse. the combination of: an. enclosed body having a lengthsomewhat greater than. and a width somewhat less than, the length of anadult casket to be transported; a door in the de of said body; and aturntable turning about a fixed axis within said body, said axis beinglocated adjacent one of the ends of said casket, said turntable beingadapted to support said casket within said body and to swing said casketoutwardly through the opening normally closed by said door.

3. In a hearse, the combination of: an enclosed body having a lengthsomewhat greater than, and a width somewhat less than, the length of anadult casket to be transported; a door in the side of said body; andmeans for supporting said casket within said bod said means swingingabout a fixed axis a jacent one of the ends of said casket to turn saidcasket into a position from which said casket may be readily removedthrough the opening normally closed by said-door.

4. In a hearse, the combination of: an enclosed body having a length.somewhat greater than, and a width somewhat less than, the length of anadult casket to be transported; door in the side of said body; and meansrotatable about a fixed axis within said body adjacent one of the endsof said casket, said means being adapted to support said casket withinsaid body and to swing said casket outwardly through the openingnormally closed by said door.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 5th day of January, 1929.

FORD W. HARRIS.

